[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 17174-17178]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           COMMENDING COLEMAN

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Madam President, in 1998, Norm Coleman ran for 
Governor of Minnesota against the son of one of the most revered 
Members of this body, Hubert Humphrey, who was also a former Vice 
President of the United States, and a noted wrestler, Jesse Ventura, 
who was elected Governor.
  In 2002, Norm Coleman ran a campaign against Paul Wellstone, a 
beloved Member of this body who was tragically killed in an airplane 
crash a week or so before the election, bringing into the race a former 
Vice President of the United States, a former U.S. Senator and 
Ambassador, Walter Mondale. The whole country watched and was riveted 
by that race during that last week. Norm Coleman won that race.
  This past year, Norm Coleman was a participant in a race that also 
riveted the Nation. He was opposed by a well-known television 
personality, Al Franken, now a Member of this body. The race went on 
for 2 years, with much publicity. Then it went on for another 8 months 
after election day.
  If Norm Coleman could have found some way to make the 2000 
Presidential election Bush v. Gore v. Coleman, Norm would have been a 
participant in every single one of the most spectacular political races 
of the last decade.
  Norm and I arrived in the Senate on the same day in 2003. We not only 
were Members of the Senate family, which we often talk about here and 
which extends to both sides of the aisle, we were Members of the same 
class, and are good friends.
  My wife, Honey, and I got to know Norm and his wife, Laurie, the 
mother of their two children. We know of his love for his family and of 
his deep religious faith. Each of us in the Senate has enjoyed the good 
humor and cheer and civil relationship that Norm has had with his 
colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans.
  But most memorable--and the Republican leader spoke of some of this--
is Norm Coleman's record of service to our country: Chief prosecutor 
for the State of Minnesota, mayor of St. Paul, Senator.
  He has been a strong, eloquent, effective voice for the center of 
this country--an independent voice of the kind our country and the 
Republican Party needs to attract and represent and continue to bring 
into our party and into our political process the center.
  The political campaigns of Norm Coleman have been more spectacular 
than those of any of us in the Senate. But the public service chapters 
of his life have been equally impressive. As this door closes, I am 
confident new ones will open.
  When I was Governor of Tennessee, my chief of staff, a former Marine, 
came in and said to me during my last years: Governor, I would like to 
say to you that people remember the last thing you do. And I had no 
idea why he said that to me, but I never could get it out of my mind, 
and I think it is pretty good advice.
  People will remember the last thing Norm Coleman did in this 
campaign. He proved to be determined and courageous and, in the 
Minnesota tradition, a happy warrior in attempting to make sure that 
every Minnesota vote counted in the race, which was decided by just a 
few votes.
  But then, when the Minnesota Supreme Court made its decision, he 
immediately was gracious about accepting the rule of law and the 
court's decision and stepping aside and congratulating Al Franken.
  That is the picture of Norm Coleman that most Minnesotans and most 
Americans will remember. That may have been the last thing that Norm 
did in this race, but I am sure it is far from the last thing he is 
likely to do in public life.

[[Page 17175]]

  Norm Coleman, after those three spectacular races, deserves an easy, 
humdrum, conventional political race someday. And Minnesota and the 
Nation can hope we will deserve and have many more years of Norm 
Coleman's public service.
  Madam President, I thank the Chair and yield the floor.
  I see my colleague from Florida.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Florida.
  Mr. MARTINEZ. Thank you, Madam President.
  Madam President, I am here this morning to speak about my good friend 
and former colleague, Norm Coleman.
  Norm and I first met when I was Secretary of Housing and Urban 
Development and Norm had been the mayor of St. Paul--I had been the 
mayor of Orange County, FL--and immediately we established a bond. We 
kind of spoke the same language, if you will. We understood each other. 
We had both been involved in the milieu of urban politics as well as 
the challenges and responsibilities of being a big city urban center 
mayor.
  I remember our discussions about the problems of the cities and about 
the opportunities. Norm had been very successful in creating a new 
arena for the hockey team in St. Paul, and this was, I know, a 
tremendously proud thing for him, an accomplishment he had.
  Little did I know our paths would again cross here in the Senate. I 
remember being in Miami at a radio station and there was a TV monitor 
on the screen during the election of 2002, and I remember it was a 
debate between Norm Coleman and former Vice President and Senator 
Walter Mondale. I remember being detained there watching him and 
thinking what a tough spot he landed in, what a complicated race it had 
been through the tragic death of Senator Wellstone, and how proud I was 
of him, of this fellow whom I did not know that well but whom I had met 
on a couple of occasions, and he was handling himself quite well. It 
turned out he was successful in that race.
  Then, only a couple years later, we were reunited here in the Senate 
as colleagues. We both immediately found one another on the Foreign 
Relations Committee of the Senate. Norm, at that time, was the chair of 
the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee. I found in Norm someone who was 
uncommonly knowledgeable about the Western Hemisphere and carried out 
those responsibilities with a great sense of urgency.
  Norm and I traveled in Latin America together. We traveled to Chile 
and to Colombia and perhaps a couple of other places where we conducted 
meetings trying to advance the United States agenda, promoting the rule 
of law, fighting against narcotrafficking that is such a blight upon 
our cities and our communities, and trying to improve the conditions of 
democratic rule in the region.
  I have no doubt that if Norm Coleman were in the Senate this week, he 
would have been side by side with us as we have watched closely the 
events in Honduras and have tried to promote a reasonable, fair, and 
democratic outcome to that country's troubled current moments of their 
living.
  He was the original sponsor of efforts to build stronger relations 
with our neighbors to the south. I had the opportunity, as I said, to 
travel with him. Part of our traveling took us to Colombia where a 
tremendous challenge lies ahead for the people of Colombia as they 
fight for the rule of law and against the narcoterrorists in that 
country. I remember our meeting with President Uribe that he and I had.
  Norm was also very committed and concerned about a stable Middle 
East, about advancing the peace process in the Middle East, but also 
about the security of Israel. He was a very strong voice for a strong 
United States-Israel relationship. He was a clear voice on the need for 
us to stop and not allow Iran to develop a capability that is nuclear 
and that would invite the opportunity for Iran to carry out the stated 
wishes of destroying the state of Israel. He was a friend of Israel.
  He was also a friend of Cuban freedom. I remember when Norm was first 
in the Senate. He came to the Senate 2 years before I did. During that 
time, I was still Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. I heard 
that Norm Coleman was traveling to Cuba. I said to Norm: As you travel 
to Cuba, as a now sitting Senator, I hope you will remember there is a 
large and growing dissident movement on that island and they deserve 
the same recognition you would have given to Lech Walesa or Vaclav 
Havel had you been traveling to Eastern Europe in the 1980s.
  Norm heard my voice and sought the opportunity to meet with the Cuban 
dissidents while he was on the island. This came as a great surprise to 
his host because the Cuban Government frowns upon visiting dignitaries 
meeting with anyone who would present the potential for a democratic 
opposition to a country that has not known democracy now for half a 
century.
  But, in any event, Norm Coleman met with them, and not only met with 
them but while in Cuba made some very strong statements about the need 
for a democratic solution to the Cuban situation, about the need for 
the people of Cuba to have an opportunity to live in freedom, and he 
spoke highly about the dissidents. Needless to say, that is the last 
time Norm Coleman has been invited to visit Cuba by the Cuban 
Government. But I knew then I had found a friend who clearly understood 
the difference between freedom and oppression and who would clearly 
stand on the side of freedom.
  Norm, as has been expressed here this morning, with great grace and 
courage, fought through a very difficult election, and that is in 
addition to the ups and downs of all that went on in the recount and 
the legal challenges that followed.
  Norm, with great grace, moved aside. When the time was right, and 
when the legal challenges had been exhausted, he did so with the grace 
and dignity that is the hallmark of Norm Coleman.
  Norm and Laurie are my friends. I wish them the very best as they go 
forward in their lives. I know they will find other opportunities to be 
of service to the people of Minnesota and to the people of the United 
States, and I might daresay also to the people of Florida because Norm 
has a great affection for my State, where he has spent a lot of his 
time--I would daresay particularly in the cold and bitter months when 
maybe it is a little more pleasant around my neck of the woods than it 
would be in Minnesota.
  But we always welcome Norm to Florida. We hope he will continue to 
visit us frequently, where he has a multitude of friends and a 
multitude of people who love him, who appreciate him, and who thank him 
for his great service to our Nation and our State, and who thank him 
for the great concern he has demonstrated about people who are 
oppressed, as well as those who seek to live in freedom and peace 
without threat from their neighbors.
  Madam President, I thank you and yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. BENNETT. Madam President, I am pleased to join with my colleagues 
in making some comments about our former colleague, Norm Coleman. I 
welcome Senator Franken to the Senate. I welcome him to his service 
here and congratulate him on his victory. But it would come as no 
surprise that Senator Coleman will be sadly missed.
  I had the experience of serving with him on the Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs Committee where he served as the chairman of the 
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation. This is a subcommittee that 
has an interesting history. It has the history of some demagoguery if 
you go back into the past. It also has a history of some accomplishment 
of the various Senators who have served there. I think it unusual that 
a freshman Senator would serve in that capacity and serve as if he were 
not a freshman but a seasoned veteran. He took over that assignment and 
went after a number of areas of controversy, and with a persistence 
that served him and the Senate very well, pursued a number of 
difficulties.
  So with all of the things we have heard about Norm Coleman--his 
intelligence, his grace, his willingness to work hard and at the same 
time do so

[[Page 17176]]

with a sense of class about him--I add my tribute to his ability to 
take on a difficult assignment and follow it through.
  I wish him and his wife and his family well in their activities now. 
I will not go through the resume the Republican leader has established 
for us. I simply add my voice of gratitude for the opportunity of 
serving with Norm Coleman and my best wishes for him in his future 
activities. He is a young and vigorous enough man that I think we will 
hear far more from him in the years ahead.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk called the roll.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Georgia is 
recognized.
  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. CHAMBLISS. Madam President, I rise to speak this morning for a 
few minutes about my dear friend, now former Senator, Norm Coleman, 
from the great State of Minnesota. Norm was a very unique individual in 
the Senate. He grew up in New York, was educated in Iowa, and wound up 
living in Minnesota. He was a student leader in undergraduate school as 
well as in law school, so his leadership qualities were certainly 
recognized early on.
  Norm grew up in an era right behind me, which was the era of big rock 
bands, and Norm was right in with the majority of the crowd of young 
folks back then and, in fact, was a roadie with a rock band for a 
while. He spent his 20th birthday at Woodstock. We used to joke about 
that a lot in some of our conversations.
  After law school, Norm obviously settled down in the State of 
Minnesota where he joined the Office of the Attorney General and 
eventually became the State solicitor general. He prosecuted any number 
of cases in both of those offices. He became the mayor of St. Paul, MN, 
in 1993, and, boy, did he ever take over a town that was headed south 
and bring it back to be a totally revitalized community in a way in 
which, frankly, I have never seen.
  When you talk to the people of St. Paul today and you ask them about 
what Norm Coleman did for the downtown area of St. Paul, a smile 
immediately comes to the faces of those residents of St. Paul. He 
created thousands of new jobs and brought in more than $3 billion of 
new development to the city. The one thing St. Paul residents, as well 
as Minneapolis residents, will tell you today about Norm Coleman from 
the standpoint of his legacy as mayor is that he brought the hockey 
team back to Minneapolis-St. Paul, and that has had a tremendous 
economic influence on that community.
  I think it is a real tribute to Norm and his leadership that after 
being elected as a Democrat in 1993, he became a Republican in 1996, 
and then ran for reelection as mayor in 1997 as a Republican, and was 
again elected mayor of St. Paul. Norm ran for Governor of Minnesota in 
1998, and as a testament to the character, the integrity, and the 
dedication as a public servant of Norm Coleman, when he lost that race 
for Governor, he was still mayor of St. Paul, and the day after that 
election, he was back in his mayoral office at 8 o'clock in the morning 
taking care of the business of the people of St. Paul.
  I was very privileged to know Norm in a way other than just being a 
colleague. We were very close personal friends. Having been elected 
together, individuals within classes tend to hang together from time to 
time, and Norm and I enjoyed many social moments outside of this 
Chamber, as well as many strong professional moments inside this 
Chamber. I will have to say that as chairman of the Committee on 
Agriculture, of which Norm was a member, there was no harder working 
member of that committee for his constituents, no more dedicated 
individual to agricultural interests in his State than was Norm 
Coleman. In fact, during the farm bill debate last year, Norm pounded 
on me every single day during the course of that farm bill debate about 
some issue that was of particular interest to his State. It may have 
been talking about some issue relative to ethanol, some issue relative 
to the issues surrounding corn, wheat, or sugar beets, but whatever it 
was, Norm was just a hard-working, dedicated man when it came to making 
sure his constituents' interests were protected in that piece of 
legislation which was so vitally important to the State he represented.
  I had the opportunity to travel with Norm many times in the State of 
Minnesota, and he likewise traveled in my State. I remember very well 
going to the Minnesota State fair with Norm. While we were there, we 
visited with some of his corn growers whom I have gotten to know on a 
personal basis as a result of my relationship with Norm.
  I will never forget that because coming from a cotton-growing State 
where we produce a fiber that is used in the manufacture of clothing, 
the folks in Minnesota have developed a way to produce a piece of cloth 
from by-products of corn and ethanol production. They gave me a shirt 
that day. It was a red shirt. They hadn't quite perfected this 
procedure at that point in time. I had a T-shirt on underneath the 
shirt I had on, and I immediately took my shirt off and put that red 
shirt on. It was hot as it could be that day. When we got back to the 
hotel that night, I took that shirt off, and I had this pink undershirt 
on as a result of having that shirt on. The corn growers have reminded 
me of that. We have had a good laugh about that ever since.
  Norm is just one of those guys who not only was a dedicated 
professional Member of this body, but he is a good guy. He is one of 
those individuals who folks on both sides of the aisle had, first of 
all, respect for as a Member of this body, but also from a personal 
standpoint Norm was easy to get along with, easy to work with, and he 
wanted to do what was in the best interests of Americans.
  I think his work on the Foreign Relations Committee, particularly 
with respect to his investigation of the fraudulent activities ongoing 
at the United Nations, is unparalleled with respect to any 
investigation I have seen take place during my years in the Senate. He 
uncovered an awful lot of fraud and abuse.
  As a result of Norm's dedicated work and his dogged determination, 
some changes have been made. Were Norm to have come back to the Senate, 
there is no question he would have continued to pursue that issue, and 
we will continue to receive benefits from Norm's investigative measures 
that were undertaken at the United Nations.
  I think Norm's reputation as a fighter and as a strong advocate for 
Minnesotans is reflective in the way he handled his election. He fought 
hard in his election. It was very much an uphill battle. A lot of us 
had tough elections last year, but nobody had a tougher one than Norm 
on a day-to-day basis. But he wanted to make sure the people who voted 
for him, the people who supported him and worked hard in his election 
all across the State of Minnesota had their just due, and he wanted to 
make sure he could look every Minnesotan in the eye and say: I did 
everything I could do to make sure this election was fairly conducted 
and to make sure that every single vote I could possibly get was 
counted.
  At the end of the day, when the election was finally decided, once 
again, in his very professional way, he conceded and decided, as some 
of us have to do in politics from time to time, that it is time to move 
on.
  We are going to miss Norm Coleman in this body. We are going to miss 
his family. Laurie and my wife are very dear friends. They communicated 
from time to time both while the two of them were in Washington as well 
as being in communication back and forth while they were in their 
respective States. We will miss that personal relationship. His 
daughter Sarah and his son Jacob are two very fine young people and 
certainly are reflective of the fact that they have been raised by two 
very good parents.
  So to Norm Coleman I simply say we will miss you in the Senate. We 
are not

[[Page 17177]]

going to let him go away, though. I still talk to him on a regular 
basis and will continue to do so and will seek his advice, his counsel 
on any number of issues because this is a man who has served the public 
just about all of his adult life. He has done so in a professional way 
and in a way that all of us wish to emulate.
  Congratulations to Norm, and good luck on whatever road life now 
takes him.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Maine is 
recognized.
  Ms. COLLINS. Madam President, I enjoyed hearing my colleague's 
comments about our friend Senator Norm Coleman because I share the same 
sentiments. I rise today to speak about the extraordinary service of 
this extraordinary individual.
  When I became the chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee in 
2003, a freshman Senator took over the position that I had held as the 
chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. During the 
next 6 years, I came to know Senator Norm Coleman as an energetic, 
farsighted, and committed public servant, but most of all I came to 
know Norm as a dear friend.
  As chairman, and later ranking member, of PSI, Norm demonstrated 
unfailing leadership and extraordinary dedication. Working with his 
colleague from across the aisle, Senator Carl Levin, Norm enhanced 
PSI's reputation as the Senate's premier investigative subcommittee. He 
undertook many complex and important investigations.
  Under this team's leadership, the subcommittee was successful in 
ferreting out waste, fraud, and abuse to the tune of $14 billion. I 
remember particularly well an investigation that exposed tax cheats in 
Medicare and in defense contracting.
  Another success resulting from Norm's leadership was his highly 
successful and courageous ``oil for food'' investigation. Norm's 
investigation uncovered billions of dollars of fraud in this program 
operated by the United Nations. Norm was focused, determined, and 
undeterred in his pursuit of the facts, in his pursuit of the truth.
  Norm's abiding concern for upholding the public trust is rooted in 
his background. As a former prosecutor, he is a champion of the rule of 
law. As a former mayor, he understands the concerns of State and local 
government. As a Senator, he always worked hard for the people he 
represented and for the people of this entire country.
  These traits were evident in his service as a member of the Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Norm's hard work ensured 
that the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction had the 
resources and the authority necessary to do his work effectively. 
Norm's keen insight into local government was invaluable during our 
extensive investigation into the failed response to Hurricane Katrina. 
His insight--critical insight--helped to shape reform in so many areas, 
ranging from our intelligence agencies, the postal service, and 
government contracting.
  Norm was also a passionate advocate for educational opportunity. His 
support for strengthening the Pell Grant Program demonstrated his 
belief that the benefits of higher education should be available to 
everyone with the determination and the desire to pursue more 
education.
  In fact, the only quibble I have with Norm's public service dates 
back to his tenure as mayor of St. Paul. His success in bringing 
professional hockey back to Minnesota was certainly commendable, but it 
was based, as I understand it, on the flawed premise that Minnesota is 
the hockey capital of the United States. The people of Maine know 
better, of course, but this was typical of Norm's pride in his State.
  The past election brought great disappointment, but it also revealed 
character. Norm ran a vigorous, honorable campaign, under very 
difficult circumstances. He never betrayed his constituents, nor 
compromised his principles. When the final court decision went against 
him, he graciously conceded defeat. In fact, I had the opportunity to 
talk with Norm right after the supreme court in Minnesota ruled against 
him. I was struck, once again, by his determination to do what he felt 
was best for his State, even though it was not best for him. I was also 
touched by his commitment, once again, to his constituents and to 
moving on and ensuring that they had two Senators representing them. He 
was not bitter. He was not hurt. He was at peace. He was at peace 
because he knew he had served the people of his State to the best of 
his ability and with all his heart and tremendous intellect.
  It has been a true honor to serve with Norm Coleman in the Senate, 
and the American people--not just the people of Minnesota--are better 
off for his service. It has been a joy to develop our friendship--a 
friendship I will always cherish and always continue. I will miss 
serving with Norm day to day, but I know I will see him many times.
  I wish Norm and his wonderful family all the best in the years to 
come.
  Mr. KYL. Madam President, I join my Republican colleagues in thanking 
Senator Norm Coleman for his service in the Senate.
  As a valued member of my whip team, Senator Coleman was devoted to 
solving problems in a practical and nonpartisan way. I could always 
expect from him a serious and interesting view of an issue and could 
count on him for good advice. His thoughtful and unique perspective, as 
well as his talent and high energy, will be missed.
  Senator Coleman ran a fine campaign and was a consummate gentleman 
throughout the long process of determining the winner of his seat.
  I join my colleagues in wishing him all the best in his future 
endeavors, and know that he will remain an important voice in our 
party.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Madam President, the Senate will continue to benefit in 
the years ahead from the service and example of Norm Coleman as a U.S. 
Senator.
  He brought to the Senate a seriousness of purpose and a high level of 
energy which he used to help shape national policies and successfully 
address many important challenges faced by our country.
  I enjoyed working with him and playing tennis with him. He brought to 
his service in the Senate a strong and determined commitment to solve 
the problems facing our country, especially as they affected farmers 
and workers in his State of Minnesota.
  Norm Coleman's leadership will be missed in the Senate, but we will 
continue to benefit from his example and his contributions to this body 
for many years to come.
  Mr. LUGAR. Madam President, I am pleased to join with other Senate 
colleagues in honoring a loyal and talented friend, Norm Coleman. For 
the past 6 years, it has been my privilege to serve with him in the 
Senate. During that time, we have worked together on many issues, and I 
have witnessed with admiration his character and his dedication to the 
United States and to the people of Minnesota.
  As a former mayor of Indianapolis, I was very pleased to welcome 
another former mayor to the Senate in 2003 when Norm took his seat 
after an election that was decided by fewer than 50,000 votes. We 
talked frequently about our experiences in Indianapolis and St. Paul, 
and we shared many perspectives on domestic policy because of this 
common bond. He was devoted to principles of good government that 
deeply informed his service in the Senate. It also was clear to me that 
Senator Coleman had an extremely strong commitment to constituent 
service that was stimulated by his service as a mayor. He understood 
that serving his constituents was a 24 hour-a-day job, and he threw 
himself into the task of serving all Minnesotans.
  I am especially sad to see Norm leave the Senate because he has been 
an outstanding partner in the work of the Foreign Relations Committee. 
I encouraged him to join our committee in 2003, and he played a 
prominent role in our work from the day he arrived. For 6 years, I sat 
with Norm through hundreds of Foreign Relations Committee hearings and 
meetings. He was one of

[[Page 17178]]

the most active members of the committee, and he could be counted on to 
bolster our debates and our efforts to achieve quorums. I greatly 
benefitted from the opportunity to exchange ideas with him, to compare 
perspectives on our witnesses, and to develop common approaches to 
problems.
  His impact was especially profound as chairman of the Western 
Hemisphere Subcommittee from 2003 until 2006. He traveled frequently to 
Latin America and quickly developed an expertise in the region. He was 
an effective advocate for Plan Colombia, and he was one of our first 
leaders to recognize how important it was to ensure that Colombians had 
alternatives to economic and energy dependence on Venezuela. He 
performed important oversight of the Western Hemisphere Travel 
Initiative, the Peace Corps, and U.S. policy toward Haiti. Senator 
Coleman was the lead organizer of the U.S. -Chile Caucus, a group that 
allowed Senators to engage with Chileans to discuss issues of mutual 
interest.
  Senator Coleman developed expertise that went well beyond Latin 
America. In April 2004, I chaired the Senate's first hearing that 
looked into the troubled Iraq Oil for Food Program. Senator Coleman 
took the lead from there, and as chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee 
on Investigations, he conducted an extensive, 2-year investigation into 
corruption and mismanagement related to the Oil for Food Program. Many 
of his conclusions were the basis of legislation that he and I 
introduced in 2005--the United Nations Management, Personnel, and 
Policy Reform Act. Senator Coleman also was a passionate and informed 
advocate for U.S. programs to combat HIV/AIDS and a careful student of 
Middle East politics.
  I know how much Norm was stimulated by the daily opportunities of the 
Senate Foreign Relation Committee, and he made the most of them. Had he 
prevailed in his 2008 reelection bid, he would have been the second 
ranking Republican on the committee.
  Senator Coleman leaves the Senate after 6 years, having established 
lifetime friendships. It was a special pleasure for Char and me to 
spend time with Norm and his wife Laurie at Aspen Institute events, 
giving us the opportunity to know much more about their family and life 
outside the Senate.
  I will miss his good humor, his hard work, and his personal 
friendship. I have no doubts that he will continue to serve the United 
States and his fellow Americans in new ways, and I look forward to 
witnessing all that he will achieve in the future. I join the Senate in 
wishing him the best as he and his family move on to new adventures.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.
  Mr. REID. Madam President, I don't know much about the State of New 
York or the city of New York. I do know there is a high school there 
called James Madison High School, which has some pretty prominent 
graduates: Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont, Senator Chuck Schumer 
of New York, and Senator Norm Coleman from Minnesota was a graduate of 
that school. I believe Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a member of the Supreme 
Court, also graduated from that high school. I am sure there are 
others.
  My message to Norm Coleman is that I have been involved in close 
elections. I lost an election for the Senate many years ago by 524 
votes. I won one not too many years ago by 428 votes. So I have some 
appreciation for what Norm Coleman and his opponent, Al Franken, went 
through.
  My thoughts during the past 8 months have been directly toward the 
difficulty they have had in their lives as a result of that close 
election. One of my elections--the one I won by 428 votes--took 6 
weeks. I cannot imagine one taking 8 months. It was a hard-fought 
campaign. Almost 3 million people voted, and it was decided by 312 
votes.
  I appreciate, as I think do the people of Minnesota, the Senate, and 
the country, Norm Coleman not taking this to the Supreme Court or a 
higher court. He could have done that. That speaks well of him.
  Norm has a lot of fans, of course, in the State of Minnesota, but he 
is also a friend of a close personal friend of mine from the State of 
Nevada, Sig Rogich. Sig Rogich and I have been very close personal 
friends for a long time. He is a man of accomplishment. Having been 
born in Iceland, he came to America and was raised in Henderson, where 
I was raised. Actually, he is a wealthy man now, a very prominent 
businessman. One of Norm's biggest supporters around the country is Sig 
Rogich; he has a great pedigree. He was part of the Tuesday team of 
famous media developed for Ronald Reagan. He worked in the White House 
for the first President Bush. He is a very personal friend of the first 
President Bush and also is well known and was part of the second Bush 
team and knows him very well. My understanding of Sig Rogich's 
relationship with Norm Coleman is that they are friends. That speaks 
well of both of them, that they have such high-quality friends.
  Norm Coleman's relationship with me--myself being a Democrat and he 
being a Republican--was always very good. We spoke to each other often. 
He was always very courteous and always a gentleman with me. I never 
heard him say a negative word about me. I cannot ever recall saying 
anything negative about him. To show that he did do some legislation 
that I watched very closely, one piece of legislation he did was one 
that would allow people, when filing their income tax return, to 
designate part of their return to go to the National Guardsmen or 
Reservists, those who lose their jobs as a result of going into combat 
and their families are having trouble making the grade. The few dollars 
they get from the military doesn't make up for what their house payment 
is and everything. This would allow money to be put into a fund to be 
administered and allow this money to go toward the families of these 
people fighting overseas. I thought so much of that legislation that I 
have sponsored it. It is working its way through the Senate, and it is 
a fine piece of legislation. I acknowledge that I plagiarized this from 
Norm Coleman. It came from his friend and my friend, Sig Rogich.
  I wish Norm and his family the very best. Recognizing that these 
campaigns come to an end, he is a relatively young man, and I am sure 
with his educational background and his notoriety in Minnesota, he will 
have a bright future.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
order for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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